Maria Lenk Trophy: Gabrielle Roncatto Continues Brazil Distance Surge in 1,500
Gabrielle Roncatto continued a tremendous week for the Brazilian women’s distance program at the Maria Lenk Trophy securing a spot at the World Championships in the 1,500 freestyle.
Roncatto went 16:19.82 to win the event Thursday night in Rio de Janeiro. She led Leticia Fassina Romao by more than a second, the Louisville swimmer going 16:21.26 to also get under the automatic qualification time for the World Championships in Singapore this summer (16:24.56).
Roncatto has already qualified for Worlds in the 400 free. All seven of Brazil’s automatic qualification times for Singapore at the meet have come in freestyle events 200 meters or longer.
Roncatto was nearly 30 seconds ahead of third-place Beatriz Dizotti. She returned later in the session to help Unisanta set a meet record in the women’s 800 free relay at 8:01.17. She joined Nathalia Almeida, Maria Fernanda Costa and Stephanie Balduccini. The latter two have earned spots in the 200 free at Worlds. Costa split 1:58.31, Balduccini 1:57.68.
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The two distance stars accounted for most of the qualification times Thursday night, the fourth day of the six-day meet hosted by Clube de Regatas do Flamengo. The other came in the men’s 50 backstroke via Guilherme Basseto, who won the event in 24.61. That’s seven tenths under the auto cut of 25.11. Basseto hit the time first in prelims in 24.90. Caio Viana Carvalho finished second in 25.21.
Sam Short set the meet record in the men’s 800 freestyle with his winning time of 7:48.83. That’s .17 seconds shy of the auto qualification time. The Australian was nearly six seconds ahead of Guilherme Da Costa, who went 7:54.79. Stephan Steverink, who qualified for Worlds in the 400 free, finished fourth.
Julia Karla Goes picked up her second win of the meet, taking the 50 backstroke in 28.84. She was .13 seconds ahead of Andrea Eliana Berrino. Gabrielle Silva completed the breaststroke sweep by taking the 200 in 2:46.48, 4.5 seconds over the field.
The men’s 200 breast resulted in a second title for Caio Pumputis, who also won the 100. He clocked in at 2:13.51, .24 ahead of fellow American collegian Kito Camossato.
Unisanta won the men’s 800 free relay by less than two seconds over Minas Tenis Club in 7:12.58. Short anchored in 1:47.21 to take them over the top. Fernando Scheffer led off in 1:47.43.